1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the drying of ostomy pouches and, more particularly, to an apparatus for effectively drying ostomy pouches in a discreet manner.
2. Background of the Prior Art
In the United States, a considerable number of people have undergone a surgical procedure generally referred to as an ostomy, and many more ostomy surgeries are performed each year. In procedures of this type, a surgeon brings a portion of the colon or other body member through a surgically created opening in the abdominal wall. This opening forms a stoma, or mouth, whose edges are sutured to the patient's skin. The stoma has no sphincter muscle, and thus, cannot be voluntarily opened and closed by the patient. This requires that a collection pouch or bag be worn by the patient to receive bodily discharges and to retain the discharges until the pouch can be removed and cleaned or replaced. As with many so-called convenience products, disposable ostomy pouches can become expensive when a long-term use is contemplated. Thus, the typical ostomy patient will use an ostomy pouch which can be cleaned and reused.
Used ostomy pouches must be handled carefully to avoid infection or the spread of disease caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria. Microorganisms thrive in the moist, nutrient-rich environment of human waste contained within a used ostomy pouch. To ensure that precautions are taken, various governmental agencies strictly regulate the handling and disposal of products that have come into contact with human waste. These precautions are likely to become more burdensome as the use of ostomy pouches increases.
Ostomy pouches are generally well-known in the art and are commercially available from several manufacturers. FIG. 1 is a view of an ostomy pouch sold by E. R. Squibb and Sons, Inc. under the name ConvaTec.RTM.. The ostomy pouch 10 has a hollow, flexible body 12 formed of an inert, flexible material. A raised and resilient mouth rim 16 is joined to a front wall 18 of the ostomy pouch 10. The mouth rim 16 surrounds an opening 20 communicating with an interior 22 of the ostomy pouch 10. The mouth rim 16 is shaped to be snap fit about a stoma flange (not shown) that is adhesively attached to the skin around the stoma of the ostomy patient. The mouth rim 16 includes a pair of peripherally spaced, belt engageable tabs 24 and 26 which have apertures 28 and 30, respectively, therein. The belt engageable tabs 24 and 26 are used to help secure the ostomy pouch 10 to a patient. The mouth rim 16 of the ostomy pouch 10 includes a grip tab 32 which can be grasped by the ostomy patient or an attendant when removing and/or attaching the ostomy pouch 10. The ostomy pouch 10 also has a tail portion 34 which terminates in a discharge opening 36 communicating with the interior 22 of the flexible body 12. The tail portion 34 is typically closed by rolling it up and securing it in place by a removable clip assembly (not shown).
Before cleaning the ostomy pouch 10, the mouth rim 16 must be removed from the stoma flange. Once the mouth rim 16 has been removed from the stoma flange, the clip assembly is removed and the tail portion 34 is opened allowing the contents of the ostomy pouch 10 to be emptied into a suitable receptacle, such as a toilet. The emptied ostomy pouch 10 must then be thoroughly rinsed and soaked to ensure that it is completely clean for reuse. A small amount of water commonly remains in the ostomy pouch 10 after a thorough cleaning and rinsing of its interior 22. Cleaned ostomy pouches must, therefore, be dried completely to avoid the growth of microorganisms in the residual moist environment of the ostomy pouch interior 22.
Drying of the ostomy pouch interior 22 is commonly effected by placing the ostomy pouch 10 on or near the edge of a receptacle, such as a bathtub, a sink, or a commode, with the tail portion 34 extended downwardly slightly into the receptacle. Drainage then occurs as the residual moisture drips into the receptacle. Often this drying procedure results in the ostomy pouch 10 being in full view of anyone visiting a patient and can be a particular problem in a hospital room. The visible draining ostomy pouch 10 is unsightly and serves to potentially embarrass the patient before friends or visitors.
The prior art has proposed several devices for draining and evacuating the contents of ostomy pouches. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,693 to Loveless discloses an ostomy pouch holder which permits the pouch to be easily manipulated during emptying and then retained securely in a toilet during cleaning. U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,106 to Downey discloses an implement for forcibly emptying the contents of an ostomy pouch prior to cleaning. However, the prior art has not provided a solution to the problems of drying ostomy pouches in a hygienically acceptable, discreet manner once the ostomy pouches have been emptied and cleaned.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means of drying the ostomy pouch discreetly, out of the plain view of one visiting the patient, and to minimize potential embarrassment to the patient. Additionally, it is an object of the present invention to provide a highly effective means of drying an ostomy pouch. It is also an object of this invention to provide a sanitary means for collecting and removing any discharge from a cleaned ostomy pouch.